Kai Hu, class 2023-24 and recipient of the Robert Sansom Scholarship in Conservation Leadership,has been awarded the MPhil Prize 2023-2024 for Best Distinction-Level Dissertation or Project Report. His work, completed during his professional placement with the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI), focused on evaluating how artist residencies influence community perspectives and conservation outcomes.
Working with the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme (ELSP) and Arts, Science and Conservation Programme (ASCP), Kai developed an evaluation framework to measure the impact of artist residencies in conservation projects. His work addressed a critical gap in conservation practice: understanding and quantifying the subtle yet powerful influence of art on community engagement and conservation outcomes.
The placement involved extensive stakeholder engagement, including interviews with artists, scientists, and community members across Europe. Through these interactions, Kai uncovered valuable insights about the multifaceted role of art in conservation. A particularly illuminating example came from the Greater Côa Valley artist residency, where community member Mila Dias observed how art transcended visual appeal to revive community spirit and reshape local tourism.
Kai's approach included innovative research methods, such as speculative workshops that challenged artists to envision unlimited possibilities for conservation-focused art. This creative methodology revealed new perspectives on integrating environmental and community considerations into artistic practice.
His research particularly focused on addressing the challenge of long-term impact assessment, inspired by projects like Cairngorms Connect with its 200-year vision. This led to important questions about creating evaluation frameworks that can capture both immediate and long-term impacts of artist residencies on communities and conservation efforts.
From Placement to Professional Practice
The significance of Kai's work has been recognized through his subsequent appointment as an ELSP Adviser. He is currently undertaking a consultancy with ELSP and ASCP, focusing on “Impact Evaluation of the Artist Residencies Programme." This role allows him to continue developing and implementing his evaluation framework, demonstrating the direct professional application of his placement work.